Man Is "Grateful" for His Life Because of an iPhone Feature That's Available for Another Free Year (Exclusive)
"The car just started drifting and then it went completely out of control," Ryo Lu tells PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/D83FDEC9-2EB4-4B95-BD64-BB0B00D3E456-1-2000-9df02f0692dd46e288b019f68bc40c9c.jpg)
Apple is continuing its effort to save lives.
One year ago, Apple released Emergency SOS via satellite on all iPhone 14 models, allowing users to message with emergency services outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Now, the company is announcing that they're extending use of the feature for an additional free year for all existing iPhone 14 users in the hopes of saving even more lives.
The application, which is also available on the iPhone 15 in 16 countries, has already helped many people in need, including Ryo Lu, who was traveling with a friend in Banff this past January when disaster struck.
“We were driving our rental Jeep towards Lake Abraham to take pictures,” the San Francisco-based 31-year-old tells PEOPLE.
As they were driving in an area with no cell service it began snowing outside. “The car just started drifting and then it went completely out of control — it flipped over on the snowbank next to the road and we were stuck there," Lu says.
Stuck with no service, Lu remembered Apple’s Emergency SOS satellite service. After attempting an emergency call, an option called Emergency Text via Satellite automatically appeared, followed by a short questionnaire. Then, the interface guided him where in the sky to point his iPhone 14 to connect to a satellite. “It was kind of cool because you start pointing the phone to the sky,” Lu says about using the feature. “And then it started to gather key information for the emergency responders.”
Within 10 minutes, Lu was connected to help, and firefighters and a tow truck were dispatched.
A passerby invited Lu and his friend to sit in their car and warm up as they waited two hours for responders to arrive. “If we drove a little bit further ahead, I think there was a cliff… we could’ve been dead,” Lu adds. “This was a happy ending.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In moments of crisis, Lu says he feels as though the application is “the quickest way to get help when you don’t have a connection.”
“It’s designed in a way that is just super simple. It has really clear diagrams," he explains. "You turn the phone and then it shows you where the satellite is, and then when it's in a good spot, it turns green. And then you can tap some buttons to answer questions, and get in touch with the emergency services.”
Other Apple applications beyond Emergency SOS via satellite can also be used to aid those in need of help.
When "off the grid" iPhone users can share their location on the Find My app via satellite to keep friends and family informed of their whereabouts, and Check In allows users to automatically let these family and friends know when they have reached their destination successfully.
Additionally, for help on the road, Roadside Assistance via satellite can help users connect with AAA when they don't have reception, while Crash Detection can be used to detect when there is a car crash — and will automatically dial emergency services if a user can't get to their phone. Lastly, iPhone users can set up Medical ID in the Health app so first responders can access necessary medical information without needing a passcode.
“I think it’s really great,” Lu tells PEOPLE. “You don't think about it until this kind of stuff happens. And then when it happens, you get help. It feels magical that this stuff exists.”
Lu credits Emergency SOS via satellite for aiding in his survival. “I feel really grateful I’m still alive," he says.
Post a Comment